


Cold Dark Places

by Folle



Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Self-Harm, also first work for the fandom hello, it gets pretty graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7311574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Folle/pseuds/Folle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nod sees MK at her worst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Dark Places

Some days for MK are harder than others.

 

It's something that has plagued her since way before her mother died. Random waves of dread and despair that twist up her insides and makes her want to claw her eyes out and peel her skin off.

 

Some days she's fine.

 

Most days it's an underlying feeling, like an ache deep in her body, like a headache.

 

Some days it's more like a migraine.

 

On those days, MK used to drag cold, dull knives against the soft flesh of her arms and legs. The dull knives made it harder for her to bleed, but the pain of getting herself to bleed with them feels like the built up feelings are bleeding out of her.

 

The first time any of her family took notice of this was when she was fifteen. The feelings had been so built up and excruciating that no amount of slashes could alleviate it. So instead of using her dull knife, she took her mother's butchers knife, sat in the bathtub, and carved herself open. It hurt to have her blood pouring out, but MK felt content and like she had dipped herself into a warm bath. Her vision went dark, and she swore she saw a figure made out of light coaxing her to come with them.

 

When she woke up, she was in a hospital with a tube stuffed down her throat.

 

From then on, her mother kept eyes on her like a hawk, and for a while, she was doing better. Doctors put her on medication, she drew and painted to keep herself occupated, and she was going to group therapy once a week, and normal therapy twice a week.

 

But with her mother dead, she hasn't gone to any kind of therapy in over a month, and stopped taking medicine several months ago. She still draws, mostly of Leafmen, but it keeps her busy.

 

It's at night when things get rough. Insomnia has been plaguing her more and more, and with hours alone to think, her mind goes to dark places.

 

It's a warm night out, a soft breeze coming in from her cracked open window. Nod said he wanted to come and visit her tonight, and she should have known better than to take her knife out. The tip traced her old scars, and she has a brief, passing thought that maybe she could just sink it into her throat. Yeah, that'd one hell of a way to go out. It'd be a pain for her father to clean up, and what would Nod and Ronin think if they saw her like that?

 

MK didn't notice the fluttering that came from her window.

 

Probably that she was just another dumb stomper. Would Nod even care? She doubt he would, why would he? She was big, slow, and he was way out of her league. He just probably put up with her because she helped the pod bloom. If he had the choice, he'd leave and never speak to her again.

 

MK's arm blossoms in pain. When she looks down, there's a large gash in her arm with blood spilling out. Her eyes go wide, and she throws the knife away from herself. It lodges itself in her door, and she scrambles to get to the bathroom. She hadn't realized she grabbed the wrong knife.

 

She puts the wound under running water. It stings, and as much as she wants to put pressure on it, or tear it open she can't tell which, he other hand is pulling open the cabinet above the toilet, and dragging the first aid kit out. She's glad her dad didn't throw out the needle and thread in there.

 

It takes MK a while, but she does manage to sew up her arm, and get a bandage wrapped around it. She feels a little light headed, too light headed to notice the bird perched on the faucet. She just shuffles back to her room, and plops down on the floor, leaning against the bed. She looks down and takes in the amount of blood her clothes are covered in.

 

She feels numb, an she can't process the fact that it's _her_ blood, that _she_ did this. That if she went and laid down in the tub, like last time, no one would have found her, and she would have died.

 

God, what would that have done her dad? To find his baby girl dead in the bathtub, covered in her own blood. He'd probably blame himself, maybe even give up all his research on the Leafmen.

 

Something lands on her leg, and when MK removes her hands from where they were covering eyes, she see's it's Nod. She pulls her helmet from her bed, and when she puts it on, all she can see is Nod's heartbroken face.

 

"MK? Are you... Are you alright?" he asks, crawling into her open hand.

 

"Yeah, sorry you had to see that," she sniffles, wiping tears from her eyes. "It was- It was just a momentary relapse. I'm fine now."

 

"I don't think you are." He walks down her injured arm and kneels down, tracing an old scar with his hand. "You did all of this? I'm here, you know, if you want to talk about it. Or other things." Nod jumps up onto her shoulder, and hugs the side of her neck.

 

MK giggles, and places her hand against him. He lets her pull him off and hold him in her cupped hands. "Thanks, that... means a lot to me." Her smiles drops, and she looks at him with earnest eyes. "All I want to do right now is forget about it. Maybe later, when it's not so fresh."

 

"I'll come back in the morning, if you're feeling better." Nod puts both of his hands on one of her thumbs. "But I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

 

She smiles and lays on her bed, helmet off. Nod nestles himself in her hands, which she holds to her chest. The blood is going to stain her sheets, but that's something she can wave off easily to her dad.

 

For the first time in months, sleep comes easily to MK.


End file.
